Edmonton Oilers General Manager Steve Tambellini announced today the club has relieved Craig MacTavish of his head coaching duties. Watch the press conference

Named the eighth coach in Oilers history on June 22, 2000, MacTavish compiled a career record of 301-252-103 (.537) in 656 regular season games over the course of eight seasons between 2000-01 and 2008-09.

MacTavish became the 36th coach in NHL history to win 300-or-more games with a 5-3 win versus the Vancouver Canucks on April 4th at Rexall Place. He finished the 2008-09 season ranked 11th in both career wins and games coached among active NHL coaches and sits 36th all-time in wins and 41st in games coached.

He completes his coaching tenure behind the Oilers bench ranked second among Edmonton coaches in games coached, wins, losses, ties/overtime losses and winning percentage.

Tambellini stated, “On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Craig and his family for their outstanding commitment to the Edmonton Oilers and the city of Edmonton over the past 10 years.”

The former Oilers’ captain has a 17-13 (.567) record in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and became the third coach to guide the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final.

In 2005-06 MacTavish guided the Oilers to their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final since 1990 as Edmonton fell in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes. After finishing the regular season in eighth place in the NHL’s Western Conference standings with a 41-28-13 record, MacTavish led the Oilers to within a game of their sixth Stanley Cup. In the post-season the Oilers went 15-9 and defeated the President Trophy winning Detroit Red Wings, the San Jose Sharks and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on their way to winning the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl as Western Conference champions.

The Edmonton Oilers 30th Anniversary Season is presented in part by the Rexall Family of Pharmacies, Bell, Molson Canadian, ATB Financial and Ford.